Please – if you have kids and firearms, invest in a gun safe. We’re sharing the reasons why, and other safety tips to protect your children.

Last year, 265 kids were killed in gun accidents.

Unfortunately, this is an issue we hear about quite a bit. A child stumbles upon a gun and accidentally shoots another kid. The result is always the same — a tragic death, or an injury.

If you’re a parent who owns firearms, you’ve probably already thought about this. You want to have the means to protect yourself and your family from outside threats, but you also want to make sure your children are safe as well.

If you’re reading this, you may be new gun owners. Or perhaps you’re considering purchasing a weapon. It’s natural that you would be concerned about the safety of your children.

In this post, you will learn how to talk to your kids about guns. You will also learn how gun safes can provide a better way to keep your children safe while still having the means to defend yourself.

Some Sobering Statistics

Accidental shootings by kids are a huge issue in the United States. It’s something that happens far too often. What makes it even worse is the fact that the majority of these accidents could have been prevented.

From December 2012 to December 2013, at least 100 children were killed in accidental shootings.

Two-thirds of these shootings happened in a home or vehicle that belonged to the family of the victim. Most of these guns were legally owned, but unsecured.

19% of these deaths happened in the home of a relative or friend.

More than two-thirds of these deaths could have been prevented by proper storage.

As you can see, safe storage of your weapons can prevent accidental shootings by children. However, properly storing your gun isn’t the only step you should take. You also need to know how to talk to your children about gun safety.

How To Talk To Your Kids About Guns

For many parents, the “gun conversation” consists only of a command to “stay away from guns.” However, there should be more to this conversation. Otherwise, this command will just arouse your children’s curiosity. We all know what kids do when they’re curious, right?

You want to have an open and honest conversation with your children. You have to get them to understand the gravity of what guns can do. Most children don’t fully understand the difference between effects of guns on television vs the effects of guns in real life.

If your children have toy guns, you can use them to show them how to handle a gun safely. You will also want to explain the difference between their toys and real weapons.

If you want your child to have a healthy respect for weapons, you might want to let them watch you use it. Many gun-owning families start early with teaching their kids about firearms. While this may seem counterintuitive, it actually promotes a sense of responsibility in their children. When you feel your children are old enough, you can teach them how to load and fire the weapon.

Educating your children about guns is one of the best ways to keep them safe. Along with having the conversation about guns, you should also teach them what they should do if they happen to stumble upon one.

Here’s what you should teach them to do:

Stop

Don’t touch the weapon

Run away

Tell an adult

If they follow these four rules, then you won’t have to worry about your children having an accident involving guns.

Here’s What You Need To Know About Buying A Gun Safe

Of course, it’s not just about having the conversation with your children. You need to make sure that they don’t have access to your firearms. You don’t want them to be tempted to play with them without your supervision.

That’s where gun safes come in.

A gun safe can help you ensure that nobody except you can have access to your firearms. There’s a lot of different types of safes. The key is to find the one that works best for your family.

Here are a few factors you should consider when buying a gun safe…

What Size?

The size of the safe that you purchase is important. You want to make sure it can fit your guns safely.

This isn’t too hard. The best rule of thumb is to get one that is bigger than you think is necessary. You want to consider any future gun purchases. You also want to take into account the amount of space your non-gun items will take. This includes ammunition and cleaning tools. You don’t want to have to spend more money to get a new safe later on.

Check The Fire Rating

One factor that tends to be overlooked is the fire rating. What happens — God forbid — if there’s a fire? You want to make sure that your weapons are protected.

You don’t want to forget about this.

When you’re purchasing a gun safe, you want to make sure it can withstand a fire. There are different levels of fire protection. It’s best to get a safe that has a minimum 1-hour fire rating. Anything less won’t give your weapons the protection they need. The last thing you want to happen is for your weapons to be lost because your safe wasn’t strong enough.

Electronic Locks VS Mechanical Locks

Another factor to consider is the type of lock you want on your safe. There are two types: electronic locks and mechanical locks.

These locks are designed to prevent anyone else from getting access to your guns. There are pros and cons to both types of locks.

Electronic Locks

Electronic locks usually feature some type of keypad. They increase the possible combinations to 1.2 million. They can also be easier to open (for the owner). Some electronic locks offer fingerprint scanners which can increase security.

The main drawback to an electronic safe is that they rely on battery power. If the battery fails or melts, they won’t function. They also tend to be a little more expensive.

Mechanical Locks

Mechanical locks use a spin dial combination to open it. They are highly effective at protecting your weapons from those who aren’t supposed to access them. They are very reliable. They are also less expensive than electronic locks. Mechanical locks are also more durable than electronic locks.

One of the disadvantages of mechanical locks is that they can be more difficult to open, especially if you’re in a hurry. Also, if you forget the combination, there’s no backdoor system you can use to open it.

Both locks will provide greater security. Either way, you can be reasonably sure that a burglar will not be able to break into your safe. If you’re looking for a quality gun safe, you can find a gun safe sale in your area.

Conclusion

Gun safety is important. If your family is going to have firearms in the home, you need to do everything you can to ensure that your children are being kept safe.

If you have a candid conversation with your children and get the right safe, you can ensure their safety.